UPA Government rules out bringing back POTA (Update)

New Delhi , Sept 18 (ANI): The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government today once again ruled out to bring back Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) to fight terrorism, saying that it was a draconian law and released various proposals to combat militancy.

Union Home Secretary Madhukar Gupta who was present during the briefing informed about a series of measures suggested by the Home Ministry and approved by the special cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening.

Main points of Gupta’’s briefing to media include:

In the process of augmenting the strength of Delhi police, the Centre sanctioned 5,000 posts (for which recruitment has been completed) and 170 vehicles over the last two years. Recently, the proposal for 7,612 posts and 130 additional police vans to be used as PCR vans, mobile police outposts has been approved and this will lead to enhanced police presence and patrolling and operationalisation of 11 new police stations.

CCTVs have already been installed in nine markets in Delhi . These will be installed in 58 more markets and at 27 border check posts. These will be linked with the overall monitoring, surveillance and control room arrangements.

Delhi police will work in close cooperation with market associations and other members and groups of the public for spreading greater awareness and enlisting their cooperation in dealing with the threat of terrorists. Delhi police is already implementing an Eyes and Ears Scheme.

4,000 additional posts were sanctioned for IB last year for which recruitment has been completed. Over 2,000 posts have been sanctioned recently. This will help in further strengthening the process of collection and sharing of information and coordination with and assistance to States. For this, mechanisms like MAC, Joint Task Force on intelligence and teams for intelligence support to States have been set up.

Other than this, dedicated arrangements will be made in IB for continuous research and study of developments and technology for counter-terrorism purposes.

So far as the issue of legal provisions for dealing with terrorism is concerned, some suggestions from ARC and others about further measures to be taken have been received. These are being looked into by a group of experts. The issue of a central agency which has also been under consideration for some time is also being looked into by this group.

A separate scheme to provide assistance to the States for strengthening their intelligence machinery, which had been under consideration for some time, has been approved. At present, the assistance is provided under Modernization of Police Forces (MPF) scheme.

In the MPF scheme, there is a component of Mega City Policing for strengthening the security in crowded areas, etc. It has now been approved that assistance in this area will be provided under a separate scheme for installing CCTV systems, surveillance systems.

Specific regulations need to be made for Ammonium Nitrate. For this, amendment will be made in the Explosives Substances Act. (ANI)